Progression
by Syropeify
Summary: JC and CN. Nick's POV as he attempts to destory the fragile relationship between Cindy and Jimmy, will he succeed in his devastation?
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I do not own Jimmy Neutron.

Authors Note: I know I know, I should be working on Suffer in Silence and In the Wrong Lane. But This popped into my head. So I felt I had to write it down! Enjoy 

**Chapter 1**

I am the essence of cool. Or, so I'm told. And being the essence of cool requires me to barely acknowledge the existence of those beneath me-which happens to be everyone.

However, I can't deny them, and from time to time I make rather interesting observations about those less fortunate than I. Although so much goes on within our classroom, nothing is really worthwhile listing, except of course, the chemistry between Cindy and that Neutron. And even through town, the only remarkable thing is the passion that flares between them. Passion that vaporizes in their hatred and rivalry.

Would you say I'm jealous? No, not of Cindy, for why would I want Neutron to have an interest in me? And envy does not illusion me from his affections for her.

For Cindy is definitely not the type of girl I wish to date. However, I must admit I enjoyed our flirtations and almost touches. She went giddy like the rest of them, but had the courage to play those daring games I so often took part in. So how did all that change? It was all after the trip to that planet. That particular trip; which stole Cindy's heart from within my careless grasp and dropped it intentionally into his hands, was the trip I feel I had lost some respect among my peers. But I obtained it back.

She used to sit in front of me, so her whispers could be heard my ears only. And then…slowly she began moving up. Nobody noticed, because it all gave them the chance to be near me at the back of the class. But I did. For I actually missed her giggles of delight when I would purr her name. The stares she would so often try to hide. But slowly, ever so slowly, she drifted away to behind that pathetic Neutron. I think she did it because she wanted to prove herself as his equal, or better. And then she sat next to him, and their desire soared. But, I could also see that Neutron did not realize her intentions, especially because so often would I see him pine after that perfection of a girl. Betty Quinlan.

But Cindy did change. She wanted his attention, and no longer craved mine. Her personality, her attire. But none of it seemed to work. And I could see that Neutron had no thought of her on his mind.

So why did I do what I did you ask? Why did I attempt to destroy what fragile relationship they had?

Because he had no right to take her away from me. He, was nothing compared to everything that I am. And even though I felt no romantic attachment to Cindy Vortex, I felt her existence was unjust. And it was up to me, to correct the right path of life.

I walked in late again. But Mrs. Fowl just swooned like the rest of the girls in my class. Except, of course, Cindy, who gave me a rather sweet smile and proceeded with her work. Jimmy; however, bestowed a varied look of admiration and disgust.

So casting him an uplift eyebrow and smirk combination, I leaned down and purred softly into Cindy's ear. "Good morning." The blood crept slowly up her cheeks and Neutron; his face was pure heaven to me. The pencil in his vice breaking, splinters burrowing in his hand. And that look of such hatred and longing was ecstasy in my eyes.

I laughed inside at all the females who threw silent fits and angry glares at Cindy.

"Now Class, Baaaaaak please get out your Baaaaaaaaaaaaak science books and pick three chemistry labs you would like to do. I'll be assigning your groups today for the two-week project." I sat back, lifting my legs onto the desk. It didn't matter to me who was in my group; everyone would gladly do all the work for me and give me partial, if not all, the credit. "Libby, Sheen and Carl…Brittany, Mark and Derek…." Mrs. Fowl gave a rare smile. "Jimmy, Nick and…Cindy." A genuine grin graced my face. It was the perfect match. "Everyone assemble yourselves in your groups!"

Cindy stood from her seat and slowly trudged down the aisle to an empty desk next to me. Jimmy remained at his desk for a few moments, before turning round and seeing that I, would obviously not move.

"Hey Neutron, there's room for one more." He gave me a look of repugnance and gathered his books, moving to the desk opposite Cindy and I.

" So Nerdtron, which lab do you want to do?" She emphasized his name with bitterness, and a touch of hopefulness.

"Well Vortex, I think we should study the effects of the Alkali metals and water-"

"No way! We should study mercury at its liquid state-"

"Alkali metals!"

"Mercury!" Their faces were dangerously close in their fury. I pulled Cindy down, both my hands resting on those delicate shoulders of hers.

"Cindy…lets do the Alkali metals, we can do mercury another time." Underneath the boundary of wood I ran my hand innocently across her knee, savouring the crimson blush that stained her cheeks. Neutron noticed of course, and bit back his tongue.

"Okay…Nerdtron, we'll do the Alkali metals."

"Then we'll meet at eighteen hundred hours, outside my lab." Blank faces stared back at him. "6'oclock, pm." He muttered softly, drawing up our project plans. Cindy attempted to give him ideas; which all sounded complicated and boring to me, and he returned them with spite. However, out of the corner of my eye, I saw him writing some of them down and crossing out his own. Very interesting indeed.

Authors Note: Okay so…there you go! Reviews welcome, flames not.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Jimmy Neutron.

To be fashionably late is an art form. It is the combination of time, grace and visual aesthetic. In order to be fashionably late, you have to know when fashionably late is. You need to know who is going to the function and their general pattern of behaviour. I may just be 'the cool kid' but being that requires a finesse of sorts, an ability to judge and manipulate the social situation around me. So when Neutron arranged for the three of us to arrive at his place for six in the evening, I had to time this perfectly.

I had to consider the factors that Cindy is a straight A student, that she would both be angry and impressed by my laid back exterior. I had to know that although Neutron would be stringent about running on time, he would most likely lose track due to tinkering with his inventions. I had to appear both cool and genuinely interested in school. It is a complicated situation, winning Cindy's affections back. But I was sure to succeed.

So when six o'clock rolled around, I lost the leather jacket, opting for my shirt and tank top combo and took the skateboard to Neutrons. I had to play this out perfectly, the skateboard as a crucial component to my overall image, but the jacket would play it up too much. I had to get more on Neutron's level, and show Cindy the attention she positively craved.

I arrived at ten past six, the perfect time of lateness. Strolling into the backyard, I took note of my surroundings. That may seem strange, but I try to keep a visual catalogue. You never know when it will come in handy.

I approached Neutron's small clubhouse and raised an eyebrow. This tiny place was the famous lab that Sheen and Carl so often praised?

"WHO APPROACHES" I jumped back as an automatic female voice blared in my ears.

"It's me, Nick." I heard a buzz, my hand reaching for the door. I could almost feel the brass handle under my fingertips before I felt a whoosh of air. I was suddenly plummeting down, dropped into an underground lair of sorts. I felt the cold, hard floor underneath my butt and winced slightly. Strange computer noises could be heard as I looked around. A large computer screen, strange gadgets and machines. I realized that this was Neutron's lab, and there he was, tinkering away on some apparatus.

"Hey Nick." Neutron mumbled, his body hunched over his gadget.

"Hey Neutron." I didn't say much after that. We both sat in silence, or I did while he tinkered away. Cindy's presence could not be ascertained. My gaze turned to the walls, covered in posters of mathematicians and scientists. My eyes fell onto a large collage of photographs of Neutron and his friends, and I took note of all the Betty Quinlan photographs he had. Although there were pictures of Libby, I could not find any of Cindy. "Where's Cindy?"

"She said she would be a little late….karate competition." He responded, mumbling equations as he began writing in a notepad. I decided to take this time to pry a little.

"So Neutron…nice lab."

"Thanks."

"You have a lot of cool stuff."

"Thanks, I invented everything." I raised my eyebrow. Although I didn't particular care for him, I had to admit that was impressive.

"Nice pictures." He didn't respond. I walked over, taking a closer look and noticed that a few of them had been ripped, the edges frayed and distorted.

"You have a lot of Betty." He continued to write, but less hasty, almost as if he was using it to distract himself, or appear distracted. I chuckled and sustained my own conversation. "Of course, why wouldn't you…She is quite the looker." I looked over and watched his cheeks go red.

"Well…she is smart, and pretty, and she's very nice…" He turned quiet again, the room silent minus the random scratch on paper. I decided to interfere a little deeper.

"But no pictures of Cindy?" He turned quickly in his seat.

"Of Vortex? Ugh not if she was the last girl on earth!" Although his tone was vial, I noted the quick turn back towards his work. He was too quick. There was something missing.

"FEMALE INTRUDER" The lights in the lab glowed red as a pounding alarm went off.

"VOX, video!" I watched as the computer turned to the video screen, Cindy had arrived, in her karate gear no less. "It's okay VOX she's allowed today." With that, I watched Cindy plummet to the ground in the same manner that I did. I walked over to the spot, my arms stretched out and caught her.

"Whoa! Oh…Hi Nick….thanks." She blushed furiously as I traced my thumb along her shoulder before setting her down.

"Hey Nerdtron, where were you on that?" She crossed her arms, glaring at him.

"Thanks for being twenty minutes late Vortex!" I could sense a bickering and stepped in to intervene.

"Guys, we have work to do, come on." I took Cindy's hand and led her over to the table, making sure to sit nice and close so our arms could brush every so often.

We worked for three hours, our entire project almost complete when we finished by nine-thirty. During that time I played the intelligent boy, complimenting both Neutron and Cindy on their contributions, and paying extra attention to Cindy. The occasional whisper or brush of her hair. I would watch for Neutron's reactions, taking delight when he scowled or grew red. There was definitely something on his end, and I was going to have to take the pains to find out.

"Well, we're pretty much done, so I just have to do the finalizations and that's it." Neutron grabbed the papers and piled them underneath his textbook while Cindy stood up and stretched.

"But it's suppose to be a two-week project Nerdtron. There is no way we can be done."

"Vortex, we still have to do the experiments, which I'm happy to do on my own"

"No way Nerdtron" She interrupted. "We're doing this together, you aren't taking all the credit!" Personally, I would have cared less, but I had to play the mediator.

"Relax Cindy, I think he was just lifting the workload from us. Thanks Neutron but we'd like to be part of the project…" I stood up as well and offered my arm to Cindy.

"Shall we go?" Cindy nodded her head and gathered her things.

"Well, if you want to come back on Thursday, we can start the experimentation…" Neutron mumbled as we walked out of the lab.

It was night, the stars illuminating the sky when we left the lab and began the short walk to Cindy's place.

"Here Cindy, let me carry that." I took her books in my hands. We walked quietly, the streetlamps lighting our path.

"Hey Nick?"

"Yes?" She blushed softly.

"Thanks for listening to what I had to say…I really appreciate it…" In this moment I could see her insecurity and realized that everything was a guise. She really liked him, and his constant belittling was getting to her. This would be very advantageous.

"Well Cindy, I think whatever you have to say is important…" I laid on the sincerity. She smiled and held out her arms so I could give her back her books.

"Well Nick…goodnight…" She walked into her house and I watched her go.

As I strolled down to the streets I began contemplating my next move. I needed to get back into Neutron's lab without him around. I needed to snoop more and get deeper inside his head. I needed the help of Sheen and Carl.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I Don't Own Nothing!

Author's Note: Thanks guys for the great reviews!!!!!!

School has always been the most fascinating place for me. That may sound strange and rather contradictory, seeing how I am always late, skip a class or just generally don't show up. It isn't the learning I'm interested in, chemistry, english, history, math.

No, it is the people. The kids like me, finding their place in the world. Being in their presence, influencing everything they do. Who I am directly or indirectly impacts the natural world of the school yard. I am untouchable, and almost every kid wants to be like me. Bullies don't approach me, girls fawn over me, and guys emulate me to the best of their ability. I have sway in this school.

I searched out my targets, Carl and Sheen. I know to some degree their weaknesses. Carl loves food, craves food. He's quiet and kooky, with a penchant for llamas and singing. Sheen is eccentric, hyper-active and obsessed with Ultra lord and more recently, Libby. They would be easy to crack. I spotted them at the front of the school, Jimmy had not shown up yet, so this provided me with the perfect opportunity to speak with them alone.

"Hey Carl, Sheen, what's up?" I hold my fist out so they can bump it with theirs. They catch on quick.

"Oh wow hi Nick!" Carl is in awe, having always envied my easy ability to socialize. Sheen looks at me with scrutiny. He has the habit of being suspicious, though he could be brought around with the right motivation. I had to tread carefully with both of them. Carl was never a good liar, so my story had to appear well thought out and harmless, yet not to the point that Sheen may assume an ulterior motive.

"How is your chemistry project going?" I kept the conversation casual, testing the waters.

"Oh you know, my main chica Libby has got it all under control." Sheen boasted.

"What about you Nick?" Carl mumbled through his chocolate bar he had stuffed into his mouth.

"I'm with Neutron and Cindy so it's coming together." We chat for a little while longer, I make a point to take interest in what they have to say, though in reality it has little substance. The bell rings and we begin to head towards class. I enquired about their plans for the weekend.

"Well, normally we hang with Jimmy, but he's going to his grandmother's house this weekend, so Sheen and I were just going to find something to do." I had to suppress a smile.

"Well, I've got a skateboard competition this Saturday. You could come watch if you want and we could hang out, maybe go to the candy bar after?"

"Oh wow Nick that would be great!" Carl dances with enthusiasm but I can tell that Sheen isn't convinced.

"Why do you want to hang out with us Nick?" He narrowed his eyes at me. I had to play this right.

"Well, I mean don't you know why Sheen?" He shook his head.

"Once you get a girlfriend, you are officially cool. You Sheen, are cool. And Carl…well Sorry Carl you aren't cool but we could totally work on that."

"Well…Libby isn't really my girlfriend…" He trailed off. I raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, well in that case we don't have to hang out"

"But I want her to be!" He interrupted.

"Well Sheen, I can help you out with that." I smile with charm. I have him hooked. And where Sheen goes, Carl is sure to follow. But it wouldn't be enough.

I had to become friends with Jimmy. I replayed how the events went from the night before. From what I knew, Jimmy had a huge crush on Betty Quinlan. He loved science. He loved new inventions. He wanted someone he could talk to about his experiments, but that same someone couldn't be his equal. They had to be lesser in a certain form. I would have to become that person.

Normally I sit at the back of class, it makes it easier to pay less attention. But today I took a spot behind Cindy and diagonal from Jimmy. I needed to be able to flirt with Cindy and yet remain in a friendship zone with Jimmy. It was going to be difficult, as I still had not ascertained what the root of their relationship was. It was eggshells at this point. Jimmy sat down and pulled out a piece of paper with complicated formulas. I took that moment to initiate a conversation.

"Whatcha got there Neutron? It looks pretty complex." I was lounging, my feet up on my desk. I had to balance this perfectly. Be interested and yet remain 'cool' at the same time, a lollypop stick hanging from the corner of my mouth.

"Oh, it's a hover-jet powered skateboard! I invented it a few months ago, but I have a lot of things to tweak."

"That's pretty cool Neutron, when are you testing it out?" His face went crimson.

"I dunno Nick, I don't know how to ride a skateboard, and neither do Carl or Sheen. So at the moment, I haven't got a tester."

"Well, I could test it for you. After all, I'm the best skateboard rider in Retroville."

"Really Nick? I mean that would be awesome…" He grows quiet when Cindy walks into the class. I give her a smile and she blushes, sitting down in front of me.

"Well whenever Neutron, I'd love to give you hand…all that inventing stuff you do is pretty cool."

"Well maybe tonight if you're not busy?"

"Sure, sounds good." I played my part well, I had him hooked. Everyone who thought they 'knew' me believed I was just a thrill seeker, and I could always be seen with my skateboard in tow. It was the perfect cover.

Class started then and I sat back, paying mindless attention to my studies. I flirted with Cindy occasionally, but kept it low key. I had to be careful.

Later that night as I walked over to Neutron's, I contemplated how I would execute my plan for Saturday. I needed access to his lab, but I had to make sure it was an access he granted. I knew he had cameras, and this had to be under the radar.

"Nick! Over here!" He was in the backyard, wearing his lab coat and tinkering around with his hover-skate board. Despite my ulterior motives, I had to admit I was rather thrilled about the testing.

"This is a hydraulic jet-power skateboard. You use your body to make it move. Tilt yourself upwards to go up, downwards to go down, and lean forward if you want to go faster." He hands me a helmet and protective gear.

"Neutron…I don't wear wrist pads or knee pads." I tossed them onto the ground and secure the helmet.

"I know Nick but the probability of you hitting the earth is 32121 to 1 so please just wear them for safety." Reluctantly I wear them, hop on the board and take her for a spin.

Afterwards, we sit on the lawn, drinking purple flurp and snacking on a pie that Judy made for us. My body is slightly bruised from the predicted falls. Often the skateboard had malfunctioned, causing me to spiral towards Earth at a very fast pace.

"I think your probability was a little off there Neutron."

" Yeah…sorry about that Nick, sometimes my calculations can be a bit off when I forget to account for variables."

"It's cool Neutron. I had a good time." It was true. Who wouldn't love flying around in the air?

"Thanks Nick…" He remained quiet for a moment, staring up at the stars. I could sense his own insecurity.

"You know Neutron, for a total geek, you're not bad." He turned towards me and smiled. I had him as well.

"Well, for a 'cool guy' you're not to bad either." Male-bonding. You gotta love it.

"So Neutron, whatever are you gonna do about that Betty Quinlan?" I asked slyly.

"Betty Quinlan?"

"Come on Neutron. Everyone knows you've got a crush on her…I've seen the pictures in your lab." He faces becomes scarlet.

"Well…yeah…but there's not much I can really do."

"Sure there is. Ask her out. Take her to the movies. Just play it casual and cool."

"You make it sound so easy Nick." It's true. I did.

"Neutron, I'll help ya out."

"You don't have to do that Nick." I shrug.

"I haven't got anything better to do." He nods his head.

"Well I should probably get inside before my parents get mad. Thanks for helping out Nick." I watched him go back inside his lab before leaving his place. I may not have gained any more information, but I did accomplish the foundations of a friendship, something that would become essential to my plan.


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: I don't own nothing…_

_Author's Note: I haven't really given an age…mostly because when I write this, I think of this as ageless if that makes sense? I don't like giving ages because I feel it automatically sets a precedence of how characters should behave based on mainstream assumptions of that particular year. So as readers, you can determine the age you feel is relevant and that you feel you can relate to. Obviously they are still in school, either elementary or high-school, but the minute I personally state what it is, I feel it will lose that almost ambiguous atmosphere that I feel is essential to the characterizations and the way I am writing…. Enjoy _

Fridays are my favourite days. But not for the reason you think. Fridays have that feel about them, that laziness… that excuse for slacking off because the weekend is around the corner. However, this isn't why I love them.

I love Fridays because of the social potential they hold. Fridays determine your status in the human kingdom. Those on top always have multiple plans, while those on the bottom have nothing. Whatever you do all week…that can be trumped by your plans for the Friday evening. You can be termed the coolest kid in school, and have that taken away the minute your plans to hang out with your parents are revealed.

Anyone can go out on a Saturday night. But Friday? Fridays hold the key to your social status for the following week.

The thing I love most about Fridays, is their wild and unpredictable temperament. The party that was suppose to be cool can turn out to be the dud, because a popular band has come into town to perform that same night at an underground club. Fridays can wreak havoc on one's identity. To maintain an identity of 'coolness' like mine, you have to be on at all times, yet appear to be 'relaxed' and 'uncaring' simultaneously. It takes a certain type of elegance and flair to balance the uncaring and yet 'on-ness' of one's identity. You need to know what's happening and what takes priority while acting unaffected.

Of course, I have an advantage. I've established myself so far in the 'cool realm' that wherever *I* go, and whatever *I* do will be considered cool. But there is a boundary. I mean, if I spent my night home alone watching TV, that's totally not cool. But if I did it with friends, then that's considered a small house party. And that is so much cooler. Nevertheless, that can change. Sometimes watching TV alone is considered cool, while having friends around can make you appear to be too dependent. It's highly volatile, a Friday night.

At my age, going out with a girl can increase your status. Sometimes, it doesn't. Oleander has a girlfriend sure, but that doesn't necessarily make him cool. Not when he's hitched to some domineering bitch like Emily who could pass as his sister…I won't even go into that.

But this Friday proved to be a good day. Last night I worked with Jimmy and Cindy on our chemistry project. I took a step back, observing their dialogue and bodily interaction. Cindy tried on occasion to obtain Jimmy's attention. And Jimmy would often sneak glances at her when she wasn't looking. Beyond that, it was rather uneventful.

I knew of Jimmy's prior engagement to spend time with his grandmother. But I also knew that if I invited him to join Carl, Sheen and I, he'd find a way to break his commitment. I needed a way around this.

While I walked to school, I had considered asking Cindy to the movies tonight. Although it seemed tempting, and it would help to maintain my 'cool' status, it was too early in the game. I needed Jimmy's begrudging approval. I needed him to focus on Betty, so he couldn't justify being angry about Cindy.

Betty….Betty, is a sweetheart with a bit of a malicious edge. The next few years in her life will be greatly determined by her social environment. That 'sweetness' may become too sweet, and like me, she will become her own manipulative mastermind. Or she'll maintain that perfect degree of lovability, chased by all the boys yet dates none, developing into the happy stepford housewife in her early twenties. Personally, I prefer the Betty a little edgier, and I was happy to help push her along the darker path.

I found her at her locker, the motions of putting books away accentuated by the flow of her hair and the sparkle of her skin. Every move of hers seemed effortless, seductive and innocent, naïve and knowing. If I helped her along the right path, I knew she would be a force to reckon with in the years to come. I strutted towards her and leaned against the locker while she flashed her charming smile.

"Hi Nick, what brings you here?" She pulled another book out of her locker, ancient history and shifted her head away to focus on placing it in her bag.

"Not much, what's going on with you?" I took that moment to take note of her locker, photos of her friends, posters of Grey Star, Guys to Boys, Men Pretending to be Boys and Outta Sync covered every inch of the metal frame.

"Not much really, you know, same old." I studied her body movements, her tone of voice. She was bored, not necessarily with our current conversation, but it was there and I went with it.

"Yeah, this town is pretty dull, nothing interesting ever happens."

"Oh I know its ridiculous, there is absolutely nothing!" There it was. She was looking for excitement, something to keep her occupied, entertained. A girl like Betty, her energies could be directed elsewhere, in more 'positive' ways so to speak. If she tried, she could be someone, someone great. Especially if she focused. But that would be boring, and too typical. No, Betty needed some drama, and I was going to give her some.

"Want to help me make this town a little more…entertaining?" I took the risk, my eyebrow raised, a smirk staining my lips.

"What do you have in mind?" She was definitely interested; I had her full attention, her body leaning towards me, wide eyes and her own malicious smile forming.

"Well…what are you're feelings towards Neutron?" She looked a little taken aback.

"I like Jimmy, he's a sweet kid." This would be difficult.

"So do I…what do you think of Cindy?" She rolled her eyes.

"Ugh…I can't stand that girl, so bossy and mean."

"So much that you'd want to help me with a little…game I'm playing involving the two?" She took a step back and didn't say anything. "You know they like each other right? But won't admit it?" She laughed.

"I know Cindy likes Jimmy, but he's too good for her." I found a way in, but I knew I had to twist this around.

"Well, we all know Jimmy has a crush on you." She smiled a knowing smile.

"He is cute in a little brother kind of way..."

"What if…you started dating Jimmy?"

"But…I don't like him in that way."

"I know, but it'll really bug Cindy. And start some drama up, and I'll make sure that Jimmy never falls for her." She looked concerned.

"I don't want to hurt Jimmy."

"You won't hurt him. He's a genius, when you two break up he'll get over it. You just do it nicely."

"I don't know Nick, I don't like Cindy very much, but I'm not sure I understand the point of all this. And I like Jimmy; I don't want to do anything that's going to upset him." I was losing her interest in this; the 'good' Betty was taking over.

"It's just a little fun. I go out with Cindy even though she wants to date Jimmy, and you date Jimmy, and we cause some havoc between the two. Nothing too bad or harmful…it'll liven up the town…" She was contemplating. I needed to sweeten the deal and fast. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed an acting and dance academy flyer beneath her books, the neon orange colour recognizable with the signs scattered across the city welcoming new participants to audition for their program. I flashed back to a school play I once did with Betty, Macbeth in space and how she actually had some talent.

"I'll help you get into Retroville Academy for the Arts." Her eyes widened.

"Really?"

"Sure, my dad's business is a sponsor, I can get him to pull some strings for an audition."

"Well, I mean I can just make an appointment and audition, I don't need the help of your dad…" I leaned forward to speak closer.

"Betty…have you ever auditioned or have any experience beyond little school productions? This academy won't even call you for an audition once they read your application." I watched her eyes fall to the floor. She knew this, how hard it would be to get into the academy without sufficient experience and training. "I can get you an audition with the Dean, and I can get you the best coach to prepare you and get you up to speed. What have you got to lose?"

"Well…if you put it that way…sure, it could be fun." She leaned forward to kiss me on the cheek and began to walk away. "By the way Nick, I'm holding you to that." She called behind her shoulder, swishing her hips in a way that could captivate one's attention.

I turned and walked away, heading towards Jimmy and his friends. My plans for the evening would cause my current standing to take a dive in the social hierarchy; but we all have to make sacrifices when we are in war.


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: I don't own nothing_

_Author's Note: Sorry for delays! Was working two jobs, volunteering, graduated from undergrad, moved to the other side of the world, and now three months into my Ph.D Enjoy!_

Chess is a game of manipulation, of movement and planning. Chess requires an ability to see both the small and large pictures, to calculate the advantages and consequences of a move, to predict the move of the opponent, to lose small battles in order to win the war. Chess has pieces, pieces that move certain ways, and others with flexibility. It has rules and is often timed.

Most people would assume that I'm quite lousy at chess. They believe it requires a high amount of intelligence, something they all feel I lack. But chess is actually my favourite game, and I am surprisingly good at it despite my deficiency in cognitive abilities concerning logics and patterns. I play chess very differently than someone like Jimmy Neutron. Jimmy calculates based on designs of movement, models that follow numerical orders. He calculates probabilities and finds the x to an equation within his head. But I didn't need that kind of intelligence. I could see the big picture, manipulate the board. I played with gut and instinct, and sometimes that overruled the power of logic.

Chess requires sixteen pieces. You have your pawns, knights, rooks, bishops, king and queen. My king and queen are situated at the back of the board, surrounded by their country men. My rooks were secured, and I had one of my bishops. Both my knights were still to be accounted for, and my pawns though disposable were also necessary. Despite my desire for an initial attack, I had to plan my movements carefully. Pawns can prove to be most useful, and bishops could easily turn their backs. Knights had to be manoeuvred right, and rooks could become a powerful enemy. The king is always given a chance to run. Most of all, my strongest piece, my queen, also had to be rendered one of the weakest. Chess also required strategic losses, sacrifices for the larger picture. I had to plan my losses that will ultimately aid the greater gain.

My chessboard laid out before me. Jimmy and Cindy, Sheen and Carl, Betty. I had these players in my hand. I still needed Libby and Goddard, my knights, and there was another bishop I had not yet ascertained. Lastly, I needed eight pawns.

Pawns are tricky. They are not necessarily people; rather, they can be objects, ideas and events. Pawns can be used to shape and mould the situation, and their ability to move two steps forward on the first go allows for a deeper penetration. The right pawn can be that extra winning edge, the reason for a plan to succeed. The wrong pawn can cause the plan the fail. Pawns could be easily sacrificed, discarded once used. Pawns could also win the game.

Jimmy's crush on Betty was a pawn, the first one. The one to take two steps forward. Betty's need for acting school, another. Sheen and Carl's desire for popularity, a third. Cindy's apparent crush on Jimmy and her insecurity regarding it, a fourth.

There needed to be more. I couldn't put my plan in motion until I had all eight pawns, secured my two knights and found my last bishop. To do that, I needed to gain access to Jimmy's lab without him around. The information I needed to crack this would be somewhere in that dark lab of his. I needed something on Libby to secure her as my knight, and Goddard would be a massive stretch to secure considering his attachment to Jimmy.

The sun was low in the sky by the time I had arrived at Sheen's place. Jimmy had already left for the night to spend time with his grandmother. I didn't know whether Carl and Sheen actually had plans to chill out tonight, I had to work on assumption. Although we had already decided to hang out on the Saturday, tonight was my only access to the lab. Jimmy would be back either Saturday night or Sunday morning. "Here we go…" I knocked on the door to Sheen's house, listening for the loud sounds of a movie while running footsteps hurried to the door. Opening the door was Sheen with a massive grin on his face.

"Hey Nick!" He motioned for me to come inside. I knew that I would have to hang out here for a few hours before I could move on to the next part of my plan. So I sat down on the couch next to Carl who was currently stuffing his face with some kind of candy.

"What's happening?" I sat back, relaxing, maintaining composure of coolness and interest. Sheen babbled on about his apparent relationship with Libby while Carl listened thoughtfully. The evening went on like this, a mixture of horror movies and swapping tales. Despite their apparently 'dweebness,' Carl and Sheen weren't too bad for company. In the very least they kept me entertained, and this night would have secured them as my rooks indefinitely. It was about eleven o'clock that night when I pushed my next step of the plan: Entrance into Jimmy's lab. I steered the conversation towards my skateboarding competition tomorrow, an easy task as both Carl and Sheen were eager to attend. In the midst of conversation about techniques and gear, I interrupted "Oh Shit!" they both turned to me with wide eyes.

"What is it Nick?"

"I left my lucky keychain in Jimmy's lab the other night when I was testing out his rocket board." Carl placed his hands to his face in horror.

"Oh no! Can you win without it?"

"No…no I can't. I've had it since I was five, it was given to me by the great skateboarder Tony hawk." This wasn't true of course, there was no keychain. But I needed this to be the catalyst for getting into Jimmy's lab. "I'll never win tomorrow if I don't find it…" Sheen was quick to be my hero.

"Don't worry Nick! Carl and I know how to get into Jimmy's Lab, we can go over and quickly get it!" Carl wasn't as convinced with the idea.

"I don't know guys, that's Jimmy's lab. He'll get real mad if we go sneaking around…"

"We'll be two seconds Carl! Besides, Jimmy will understand!"

"We better not tell him, just to be on the safe side Sheen. Carl is right, it's not a great idea but I need that keychain…"

"To Jimmy's Lab!"

It was quarter to twelve by the time we arrived at Jimmy's house. The streets were quiet, empty. Soft glows from the lamp post our only light. We snuck into the backyard, arriving at Jimmy's clubhouse. At this point I was unsure how we were going to get in. Every other time Jimmy was the one who provided access. "Well guys?" Sheen smiled and pulled a piece of hair from within a paper bag that Carl had been carrying, holding it up to what appeared to be a scanner. A female voice welcomed us by taking the floor away from our feet and dropping us onto the floor. I was in, inside Jimmy's lab with the ability to look around without his watchful gaze.

"I don't feel right about this guys…" Sheen and I both ignored Carl as we wandered around, he looking for the keychain I had described while I pretended. I was interested in the drawer of Jimmy's desk that he kept locked. He was hiding something.

"You know, I spent a lot of time over there in that dark corner, maybe you could have a look Carl?" Carl nodded his head and wandered over, Sheen too distracted by one of Jimmy's inventions to take notice of me heading over to Jimmy's desk. Grabbing a pin from my pocket, I worked at picking the lock of the drawer, a skill I had picked up over the years. I wasn't the best at it, but I could generally get those claw game machines open to pick my prize. Fortunately, the lock on this drawer was simplistic, a surprise for me. I would have thought that like his clubhouse, Jimmy would have placed some kind of biotech security system, but it appeared that he felt secure enough to use a simple drawer lock. I had to be quick, Sheen was beginning to lose interest and Carl would have given up soon in the dark corner. The drawer opened, my hand grabbing at a book and shoving it inside my coat jacket, in the waist of my jeans before anyone else could notice. I quickly closed the drawer and pulled a keychain I brought from my back pocket and placed it on the desk, then knocking it to the floor.

"What was that noise?" Carl hurried over and looked under the desk. "Nick! Nick I found your keychain!" Smiling he handed it back to me.

"Thanks Carl, you and Sheen saved me!" I glanced at my watch, 12:01am. "Come on guys, we should get out of here. I have a big day tomorrow, you are coming right?"

"We wouldn't miss it Nick!"

Later, alone in the comfort of my bedroom I pulled the book out from beneath my jacket. It was brown leather, the size of a hardcover book. I opened it to the first page, which just had Jimmy's name and the address. Flipping through the first half was uneventful. Just drawings of machines and calculations. I continued going through each page, disappointed at what I was finding. It made sense for him to lock this book away, but it didn't seem to have what I needed. I slammed the book down, making something fall out the back onto the floor. It was a rectangle, and turning it over was a picture. Just a simple picture. But it had everything I needed.


End file.
